________________
GENERAL EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION
The Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan has so far published 53 volumes in the Singhi Jain Series. When the late Muni Jinavijayaji had been to Santiniketan in December 1931 he had started the Singhi Jain Grantha-Mala with the very liberal financial assistance of late Shri Bahadursimhaji Singhi.* When the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan was started in 1938, Shri Muniji joined the Bhavan at the special invitation of Kulapati Munshiji and entrusted the Sirghi Jain Series to the Bhavan. Since then, the Bhavan has brought out this series with meticulous care and this prestigious series has received respect of scholars and international recognition. Shri Muniji remained its General Editor till his death, which took place on June 3, 1976.
Muniji was born on January 27, 1888, at Rupaheli in Mewar in Rajasthan. His parents were Vriddhisimhaji and Rajkumari. They were Rajput farmers and Muniji's original name was Kisan Singh. At a young age, he joined the sect of a Baba, then a Marwari Jain monk, and then ultimately was initiated by Muni Sundervijayaji, and given the name "Jinavijayaji." With keenness and industry, he devoted himself entirely to exploring Bhandaras for manuscripts and to reading, editirg and making research. He went to Jaisalmer, Baroda, Bombay and Poona. Gandhiji invited him to the Gujarat Vidyapith at Ahmedabad. He gave up the costume of a monk to pursue more vigorously his research plans. In 1928, he went to Germany at the invitation of Dr. Jacobi. Coming back to India he joined the Dandi March in 1932 at Gandhiji's call. Thereafter he joined Santiniketan at Gurudev Tagore's invitation and it was here, as stated above, in 1931 that this Singhi Jain Series was started.
After Muniji joined the Bhavan, this series has become a very prestigious and integral part of the Bhavan. Even though he went to Jaipur as Director to serve his native place the Singhi Jain Series was purposely and continuously kept entrusted to the Bhavan by Muniji. In Jaipur, he established a Research Institute-Rajasthan Puratatya Mandir --and started another series. He then went to Chanderia near Chittor and started a Sarvodaya Sadhana Ashrama. At Udaipur, he laid the foundation of Bhamasa Bharati Mandir and Shri Haribhadra Suri Smriti Mandir. He received the co-operation of a number of learned scholars and has edited more than a hundred rare works. He delivered the Thakkar Vasanji Vyakhyanamala of the Bombay University. He was awarded the title of "Padmashri" by the Government of India. He became a member of the German Oriental Society and was also the President of the Gujarat Itihasa Parishad.
He remained the Hon. Director of the Bhavan till 1954 when he formally retired to work more vigorously at Jaipur and thereafter I was asked to be the Hon. Director. As stated above, he moved from place to place, from time to time and subsequently on account of age, failing health and more particularly his failing eye-sight, the tempo of publication of the Singhi Jain Series became slow, more particularly because he was keen to write an exhaustive Introduction to each publication himself. In spite of repeated requests from me, it was not possible for him to write these Introductions in view of the aforesaid difficulties. However, the Bhavan was able to bring out two volumes in 1966 and 1967 by Dr. A. N. Upadhye and Tarunaprabhacharya's Shadavasyaka-Balavabodhavritti edited by late Dr. Prabodh Bechardas Pandit in 1976. The last mentioned work contains in detail an exhaustive Introduction by Muniji, written at my repeated special requests, and gives the history of this series. Even though it is named as Singhi Jain Series, Muniji has included in it many non-Jain works also. The series has gained international recognition and is referred to as a prestigious publication in the Report of the Sanskrit Commission appointed by the Government of India.
* Regarding Muniji's life, see his Sanskrit Prasasti in Kumarapalacharitra Sangraha and other Volumes of this series, as also the article by Pandit Sukhlalji in Darsan and Chintan, pp. 94 ff.
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
